Batteries and solar panel Questions??

bggrndodge

Member
We do a whole lot of dry camping and don't like to run the genny if not needed. In my last TH we had two six volt batteries and could go 3 or 4 days. With this one we camped one night and in the morning the genny didn't have enough juice to start. We didn't run much of anything all day, and at night we just ran the heater. The battery is the single twelve volt batt that the dealer installed and we have only had the camper one month.
So my first qeustion is what configuration of batteries are you dry campers running to get more than one night. And is anyone running a solar panel, what kind, how many watts, and where is it located?

Thanks in Advance,
Jake
 

MC9

Well-known member
Re: Batteries and solar panal Questions??

My last sob had a 75 watt solar. It kept the batteries (2-12V) charged. The Sundance got 2- 6V on the way home from the dealer. We spent a week at a boat rendezvous last summer and only were down 1 light on the guage.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
Re: Batteries and solar panal Questions??

Not surprised your single battery went flat in one night running the furnace. You have somewhere around 50-70 AH with that little battery. A pair of 6V T105 size batteries will give you 225 AH. That's what we use and they've never failed to get us through the night with furnace, evening and early morning TV, even the coffee maker.
 

brianharrison

Well-known member
Re: Batteries and solar panal Questions??

Cannot help with your solar panel questions, as I do not have one installed; however I use two Group 27 (12V) deep cycle gel batteries with a Reserve Capacity (RC) of 140 AH each. I dry camp for a couple of nights running the furnace and I still have battery charge left on the way home.

I make sure I charge the batteries with the built in Intellicharger for 36 to 48 hours until the charger drops to float charge (about 13.2V), then I let the batteries relax for a couple of hours before I draw on them (ie the time to travel to the camp site)

--> more information here --> http://manuals.heartlandowners.org/...200_Series_Progressive_Dynamics_Converter.pdf

Here is a good site provided by another member in a different thread that talks about 12V systems, there is a section on batteries, configurations and the corresponding RC. http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

Hope this helps.

Take care,
Brian
 
Re: Batteries and solar panal Questions??

I have solar panels installed on North Country...was just an experiment for my house, but am keeping them on the trailer. I have a total of 60 watts with two 12v deep cycle Interstate batteries. The panels keep the batteries at peak charge. Have never went without lights. I have a 1700 watt invertor to install so I can run other items off the batteries, just have not installed that yet. Beats putting battery charger on or carrying the battery back home. I have the panels installed on a aluminum frame attached across the front of the trailer. My trailer is parked on our private lot permanently, so I get south southwest sun all year long.
 

CrazyCooter

Well-known member
Re: Batteries and solar panal Questions??

In our current trailer, we have 4 Trojan T-105's for 450Ah capacity matched with 360W of solar and an old skool inefficient charge controller. We don't need a generator unless the weather is cold and dark for 3-5 days in a row or there is a need for A/C. The Xantrex 458 2000W inverter takes care of our AC needs to run micro, coffee pot, and other electronics. This inverter also has a 100A battery charger to make the best use of generator run time. We also use a catalytic heater to do most of the heating duties which save the furnace fan from running most of the night.

We have a new 300C on order and plan to do 6 T-105's, 720W solar, and a MPPT charge controller. I purposely ordered this rig without the generator to save cost and weight since we use our generator has gotten 7 hours of use in the last 50 days of camping. My thoughts are this rig will be bigger and require more power to run it in luxury.

We like the quiet of the outdoors, so we installed this type of system and try not to camp near "Generator People".....you know, the ones who run them 6am-11pm?

The overall cost is near what the generator option was.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
Re: Batteries and solar panal Questions??

Here is a good site provided by another member in a different thread that talks about 12V systems, there is a section on batteries, configurations and the corresponding RC. http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

Hope this helps.

Take care,
Brian

Convinced me. I am going to find a battery box for two T105s, and take two out of my golf cart when we boondock. I've got a 1500 watt inverter on the cart and I'll just take it too. Thanks for the info. Mike
 
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